I've been wittering on about the majesty of Paul Rainey's There's No Time Like The Present for months now. Well, it's been a long but extremely satisfying journey, and now it's over. #13 is certainly an unlucky number for fans of quality comics - but you'll be pleased to know that writer/artist Paul goes out on a thought-provoking and emotionally satisfying high.
Where most writers would use the final episode of a series to wrap up what's gone before, Paul keeps throwing new ideas at us too. One of the underlying themes of TNTLTP is of time speeding up as you grow older - so while the early episodes started slow with lots of slice of life character work, as the series progressed Paul has introduced more and more fascinating concepts. As a writer, he understands that the most affecting sci-fi is grounded in the world outside our windows, and takes off from there. Under a less-skilled creator, this final episode might seem like an info-dump of exposition, but Paul keeps it human and enthralling even when introducing the most mind-bending of concepts... then leaves us with a surprisingly tender conclusion that packs an emotional punch I really hadn't expected. Come the inevitable TNTLTP graphic novel collection, this story really deserves to reach a much wider audience.
In the meantime, you can read the first 39 pages of Paul's masterpiece by clicking here. Pick up back issues and that awe inspiring final episode by popping over to his shop here.
